Colombia’s Attorney General cleared two congressmen who were of the
first politicians to be investigated by the Supreme Court for their
alleged links to paramilitary groups. Former congressmen Álvaro García is not allowed public office for twenty years.
According to the Attorney General, there is not enough evidence to further disciplinarily investigate or suspect coalition lawmakers Erik Morris and Jairo Meriano.
In the case of Morris the contradictory statements of paramilitaries made the chief of Colombia’s Public Ministry decide to clear the politician. In the case of Meriano, the Attorney General found the evidence not conclusive.
García on the contrary is considered guilty by the Attorney General and is not allowed to hold any public function for the next twenty years.
Morris, Meriano and García were the first ever to be indicted for what became known as parapolitics, seeking political gain through paramilitary intimidation of the electorate.